(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and a copier, a management unit for an image forming apparatus, and a program to be executed by the image processing apparatus or by the management unit for the image forming apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for rewriting firmware that is incorporated in an apparatus.
(2) Related Art
Conventionally, firmware that controls the operations of an image processing apparatus is stored in a mask ROM on a substrate provided within the apparatus. When it becomes necessary to rewrite the firmware, a worker has to exchange the mask ROM on the control substrate with another mask ROM storing new firmware.
Such a task to exchange mask ROMs not only takes time but also requires a complicated operation. Therefore, a flash ROM that is a rewritable memory has taken the place of a mask ROM in recent years. To be more specific, the following method is employed. An image processing apparatus is provided with an interface (I/F) with an external storage apparatus such as a memory card. A memory card storing new firmware for a rewrite purpose is connected to the I/F, and the new firmware is written over to the flash ROM within the image processing apparatus.
Also, as a method for rewriting firmware without dispatching a worker, new firmware may be distributed as being attached to an e-mail message, via the Internet, which has been increasingly widespread in recent years, and the firmware stored in the flash ROM can then be rewritten to the new firmware distributed.
For example, a network printer can receive new firmware for a rewrite purpose that is distributed via the Internet connected to a LAN, while receiving various jobs (e.g., print jobs) from terminals connected to the LAN. The network printer then can internally perform a firmware rewrite operation (a firmware rewrite job) using the received new firmware.
In this case, jobs such as a print job and a firmware rewrite job are typically executed one at a time in the order of reception. Naturally, while firmware is being rewritten (i.e., while a firmware rewrite job is being executed), other jobs that are related to the firmware cannot be executed.
Along with the recent trend of more sophisticated functions and more multiple functions of image processing apparatuses including network printers, a capacity of firmware to be incorporated into each image processing apparatus is expanding year after year. Firmware with a capacity of as large as about 10M bytes is now available. Accordingly, time taken for rewriting such firmware can be as long as about several tens minutes.
Therefore, if jobs are executed in the order of reception as conventionally, execution of a print job or the like that has been received at the start of executing a firmware rewrite job may be delayed for a long time.